Pitching gem lead Creighton to MVC win

Senior Jeremy Hauer tossed a complete game five-hitter to lead Creighton to a 5-1 win over Southern Illinois in the first game of the 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament on Wednesday afternoon in Wichita, Kansas.

Hauer (2-6) is 2-0 with a 1.11 ERA in three career starts vs. SIU. It was the first complete game of his 37-game career with the Jays, which includes 27 starts.

Creighton snapped a six-game losing streak and improved to 29-24 on the year, while Southern Illinois fell to 23-27. Creighton became the first team to win its first game of the MVC Tournament in six straight seasons since Wichita State did it in 10 straight years from 1980-89.

The Jays play again on Thursday against host Wichita State, who just swept Creighton this past weekend.

Creighton opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning against Saluki starter Adam Curynski and added to their lead with three more in the sixth.

SIU scored its only run in the top of the ninth inning. Elmendorf doubled down the line to start the ninth inning and scored after consecutive fly outs to center.